Even in the kingdom of mangoes, it’s the Alphonso that reigns supreme. Come mango season and every other fruit takes a back seat. Life then is all about the mango shake, lassi, aam ras, mango ice cream, and simply, the sliced fruit. Alphonso takes over breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert. But the mango is not all about the taste. This yellow-gold heavenly fruit is oozing with health benefits.
For starters, Alphonso is loaded in vitamins — A, B, C. These vitamins are essential to boost your immunity, something we’ve all become very conscious of in the time of coronavirus. They improve your resistance and help the body fight infections. Vitamin C helps the body in producing white blood cells, your defense against viruses and bacteria.
Alphonso is also good for the heart. It has magnesium and potassium which contribute toward maintaining a healthy pulse rate. Fruit fiber ensures that the arteries keep functioning and thus reduces the risk of heart disease.
The mango is high in antioxidants, the most noted among them is zeaxanthin. It helps in keeping your eyes healthy and is likely to reduce the damage caused by macular degeneration, an eye condition that aggravates with age.
Poor digestion often plays a spoilt sport, especially for foodies. But with the mango, you have little to worry about it. The water and dietary fiber content in the fruit works wonders against constipation and diarrhea. Plus, the fruit contains a group of digestive enzymes called amylases. What they do is break down large food molecules after which they can be easily absorbed.
That’s not all. The king of fruit is quite the beauty enhancer with all its vitamins working their magic. Vitamin C produces collagen which is great for the skin — it fights wrinkles and sagging, an anti-aging cosmetic if you will. Vitamin A is fantastic for hair growth; it produces sebum, a liquid that works as a moisturizer for your scalp.
When you think of Alphonso, you mostly think of all that pulpy goodness. But don’t write off the kernel, the gutli as we call it. It’s high in nutrients — Vitamin B-12 to be specific, a deficiency for which many of the city folks tend to take shots. It’s also useful in combating diabetes and hypertension, says research conducted by Anand Agriculture University, Sardar Patel University, and Jamnagar Ayurvedic University along with US-based Indian researcher Gordhan Patel.
The mango also has a connection with the Big C. And while it would be outrageous to claim that it cures cancer, the pulp helps you in the fight against the disease. Studies show that the mango may reduce the risk of colon cancer. It also contains beta-carotene that can help protect against skin cancer. The polyphenolic compounds in the fruit including gallic acid and their larger polymers gallotannins have been linked to anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities, according to initial research.
The mango, especially the Alphonso, deserves its kingly status. However, it’s important to note that to derive 100 percent benefits of the fruit, it needs to be consumed in its purest form — organic with no artificial ripening involved.
While we’ve devoured the mango, we now know that it’s a fruit like no other. Shall we declare it a superfood already?
Post Comments